Final result: Milan-Girona 1-0
AC Milan’s report cards (edited by Raimondo De Magistris)
Maignan 7 – Milan builds chances in series but concedes. And when he concedes, the French goalkeeper takes care of patching things up: at least two top-level saves.
Emerson Royal sv From the 4th minute Calabria 6 – No demerits in the duel against a darting Bryan Gil. Also be careful in the second half.
Cage 6 – Shortly after the half hour he let van de Beek pass him, but luckily for him his back was well covered. He redeems himself in the second half by intercepting a shot from Tsygankov.
Pavlovic 6 – Maybe a little rough, to be roughed up. But even tonight he showed that the defender can do it: it’s a shame that Milan want to get rid of him quickly.
Theo Hernandez 5 – His slip in the 24th is the perfect photograph of a listless, superficial performance. In the second half he didn’t close on Gil, who scored a beautiful goal: luckily for him, the former Tottenham player had started in a millimetric offside position.
Bennacer 7 – Perhaps the best performance since he became available again. And how much Milan has missed a midfielder like him: he intercepts and passes, from his feet comes the goal that unlocks the match. From the 75th Pulisic sv
Fofana 6 – Not always clear-headed, even tonight he appeared a little tired. But when his physicality is needed, he doesn’t hold back.
Reijnders 6 – His movements between the lines are difficult to read, his plays of supreme quality. But he is not always at the center of the maneuver. From the 75th Terracciano sv
Musah 6.5 – In the 20th minute he made a mistake, passing a ball that should have been thrown into the net, but then in a role that wasn’t his, he was the protagonist of a performance of great generosity. Unlucky just before the half hour mark: he tries with a shot from distance and hits the post.
Morata 5.5 – He plays at the service of the team and this is always good news. But something else is also expected from a centre-forward and the Spaniard tonight never gave the feeling of being able to create danger in Gazzaniga’s area. From the 64th Abraham 6 – More dangerous than Morata.
Rafael Leao 7.5 – Approach the European evening with the right attitude and the fact that it turns out to be decisive is almost a natural consequence. His goal sends Milan into the G8 of the Champions League with 90 minutes left in the ‘Championship Phase’.
Sergio Conceicao 6 – He gives them and takes them. Even from a Girona that is not exactly among the battleships of this Champions League.
Girona report cards (edited by Giuseppe Lenoci)
Gazzaniga 6 – Not guilty of the goal conceded in the first half, however he produced a sufficient performance. Lucky on the occasion of the two woodwork hit by Milan.
Frances 5.5 – He struggles to find the balance between the two phases due to the positive performance of Leao, who often surpasses him with extreme ease. He grows in the second half, not enough to become dangerous.
David Lopez 5.5 – Not an easy test for the central defender, struggling with Morata’s offensive projections, good at not giving points of reference.
Krejci 5 – The performance of the central defender was not positive, often appearing distracted both in the disengagement phase and in covering complicated clients such as Leao and Musah. Too much lightness for a defender with his qualities.
Blind 6 – On his side, Milan attacks less and his experience still allows him to carefully manage Musah’s attacks. In the end, he tries to drag his people along.
Oriol Romeu 6 – He tries to give balance to the department with a clean and tidy performance, aimed at taking over as an extra man in the defensive phase of his team.
Van de Beek 6 – Some problems managing the ball in midfield. He comes close to scoring with a conclusion that worries the Milan goalkeeper quite a bit. From 62′ Asprilla 5.5 – He enters with a positive attitude but almost never manages to threaten himself, except with a couple of crosses towards the center of the area.
Herrera 6 – His incredulous face at yet another Maignan miracle is the emblem of the Spaniards’ day. However, the midfielder’s performance was positive, inspired especially in the final metres. From 77′ Portu 6 – He tries to raise the center of gravity of his team: Milan’s defense, however, is able to keep him at bay and make him harmless.
Tsygankov 6 – You can see little in attack but in any case try not to give too many points of reference to the Rossoneri rearguard by spacing out on both sides of the pitch. From 62′ Martin 5.5 – Enter the highlights of the match for an obvious hold on Fofana and nothing more. He fails to give bite to his department.
Abel Ruiz 5 – The attacker never manages to become dangerous and is the protagonist, despite himself, of the ball possession lost during the action that broke the deadlock in the match. Fatigue, and quite a bit, between Gabbia and Pavlovic. From 62′ Stuani 6 – He positions himself in the center of the area but does not find the opportunity to attack, also given the very few playable balls received by his teammates.
Bryan Gil 6.5 – Active in your area. His talent allows his team to receive quality balls in the opponent’s area, which are not exploited to the fullest. Scores a superbly crafted goal, disallowed due to an irregular position. The outside was unlucky. From 62′ Danjuma 6 – Try to keep the quality level high on the wing occupied by Gil. Some interesting ideas but little time to offend.
Michael 5.5 – The coach, with the path compromised, opts for an offensive formation. The changes in the second half, however, especially on the outside, don’t seem to be very convincing.